Eggplant Rolls with Walnuts and Cheese

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make eggplant rolls with walnuts and cheese? Gather your ingredients. Choose an eggplant that's as even as possible along its length so the rolls look neat. Any cream cheese works for this recipe — even a flavored one will taste great. You can buy the walnuts already shelled, or shell them yourself.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the eggplant, pat it dry, and cut off the stem. Slice it lengthwise into long strips about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick — or even thinner, which makes them easier to roll.

3. Step 3:

   

   Sprinkle the eggplant with salt. This is the easiest way to draw out the bitterness this tasty vegetable often has. The salt pulls moisture out of the eggplant, and the bitterness goes with it. Let it sit for about 10 minutes — you'll see beads of liquid form. Wipe the strips down with a paper towel to remove the drawn-out liquid.

4. Step 4:

   

   Make the filling. Shell the walnuts if they aren't already. You can toast them for a couple of minutes in a dry skillet to make them more fragrant and flavorful. Then crush them any way you like — in a blender, in a mortar, or with a rolling pin, as I did: put the nuts in a bag and tap them with the pin until they break down into fine crumbs.

5. Step 5:

   

   Put the cheese and walnuts in a small bowl. Press the peeled garlic clove in with a garlic press, or grate it on a fine grater.

6. Step 6:

   

   Stir everything together with a spoon until smooth. The filling is ready. You can stir in some fresh herbs if you like. Instead of cream cheese you can use absolutely any cheese — just grate it and add a little mayonnaise.

7. Step 7:

   

   Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable oil, and let it warm up for a couple of minutes. Lay the eggplant strips in the hot oil in a single layer so they don't overlap.

8. Step 8:

   

   Fry the eggplant over low heat until browned on one side, then flip and brown the other. The slices should soak up the oil and turn soft.

9. Step 9:

   

   Transfer the cooked slices to a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Fry the next batch the same way.

10. Step 10:

    

    Let the slices cool a little. Take a strip of eggplant, place a teaspoon of the cheese-and-walnut filling on one end, and roll it up.

11. Step 11:

    

    If a roll won't stay closed, secure it with a toothpick or a small skewer. My slices were thin and well fried, so I didn't need to. Fill all the eggplant slices this way.

12. Step 12:

    

    Arrange the finished rolls on a platter and garnish with fresh herbs and pomegranate seeds. Serve them however you like — they're delicious both warm and at room temperature. Enjoy!